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"Captain Mole City, I heard your name mentioned by my grandfather," Shiraha said with a polite smile.
Of course, it was a lie—fabricated to keep Mole City Shuangya complacent. Shiraha had no intention of revealing the extent of what he truly knew. Despite being sealed within Infernal Hell, Shuangya's Zanpakutō remained in a perpetual state of Bankai. That alone made him a threat. Even in total confinement, he could still perceive everything that occurred within Seireitei, though his awareness didn't extend beyond its borders.
"Huh? Even Silver Ridge told you about me?" Shuangya chuckled, a faint grin curling his lips. "Didn't think my name still lived in the mouths of old men."
Shiraha kept his expression composed. "I'm not sure what you want to ask, Captain Shuangya."
If Shuangya already knew everything going on within the Court of Pure Souls, then what more did he need to confirm?
"What do you think of the current Eleventh Division Captain—Zaraki Kenpachi?" he asked suddenly.
Shiraha paused, considering. "Captain Zaraki is a man of immense strength and unrelenting desire for battle."
"'Immense strength,' you say?" Shuangya snorted with a trace of disdain. "He's loud, reckless... a brute who fights like a beast with no discipline."
Yet even as he mocked, his tone carried a strange curiosity. "But more importantly... you don't seem the least bit surprised that I can observe the world outside."
To most, the idea of someone locked away in Infernal Hell for over two centuries having any knowledge of the current state of the Gotei 13 would be impossible. Yet Shiraha wasn't surprised—and Shuangya noticed.
Shiraha simply smiled, offering no explanation.
Shuangya narrowed his eyes, then scoffed. "Forget it. Since you're polite enough not to pry, I'll repay you with a warning. Trouble is waiting for you the moment you step out of here."
Without elaborating, he turned and walked off into the dark, his lantern swinging faintly, its light slowly swallowed by the abyss.
"Trouble... Aizen?" Shiraha murmured, eyes narrowing as Shuangya's figure vanished into shadow.
At first, Shiraha wasn't sure what the man meant. Aizen knew full well that even if Shiraha was thrown into Infernal Hell, it would be temporary—no more than a single day. That couldn't possibly be a deterrent. But if Shuangya could see what happened in Seireitei, then perhaps he'd glimpsed something—something Aizen was preparing even now.
"So… let's see how you plan to handle me, Aizen," Shiraha muttered to himself, the words hanging low in the silence.
The Next Morning—First Division Headquarters
Four figures stood beneath the tiled roof of the First Division compound: Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Chōjirō Sasakibe at his side, and two others—Byakuya Kuchiki and Kyoraku Shunsui.
"Ah, Captain Kuchiki. Didn't expect you to come personally to retrieve Shiraha," Kyoraku said with a relaxed smile, tilting his straw hat back slightly.
Byakuya replied coolly, his tone calm as ever. "And what of you, Kyoraku? Have you already resolved the affairs of the Eighth Division?"
"Of course, of course. Nanao's taking care of all that now." Kyoraku waved it off. "I'm just here to escort Shiraha out and maybe share a drink afterward. You're welcome to join us."
"Enough small talk." Kyoraku looked to the old man. "Old Man Yama, the time's up. Can we let Shiraha out now?"
"Sasakibe, go," Yamamoto commanded with a nod.
Sasakibe bowed and departed immediately, with Byakuya and Kyoraku trailing silently behind.
Shiraha stood from the cold ground as if awakening from a meditative state. A full day had come and gone inside the abyss. It was time.
"Captain Mole City, I'm leaving," he called out, unsure whether Shuangya was even listening.
From deep within the black, the echo of a single breath responded—a long exhale like wind rustling through ruins.
Shiraha approached the sealed gate and waited.
Moments later, a loud grinding noise filled the chamber as the massive gate split apart and slowly drew back. As it opened, light poured in from outside. Shiraha stepped forward, and with a brief activation of Observation Haki, he identified the three figures waiting beyond the threshold: Chōjirō Sasakibe, Kyoraku Shunsui, and Byakuya Kuchiki.
Behind him, the colossal doors began to shut again. As they did, the black wooden plaque engraved with 卍 floated back into Sasakibe's grasp.
"Captain Kyoraku, Brother Byakuya, Vice-Captain Sasakibe," Shiraha greeted them with a faint smile as he approached.
"Yo, Shiraha. How was it—spending a whole day in Hell?" Kyoraku asked with a casual wave.
"Honestly... not much to talk about," Shiraha replied. For most, Infernal Hell was an endless void of darkness and silence. But for someone with perfect Observation Haki, it was just another quiet room.
"Well then," Kyoraku said cheerfully, "now that you're back, why don't you drop by the Eighth Division later for a drink? Jūshirō's already with us. You're the only one missing now."
Shiraha sighed. "You just want someone to drink with, and you're dragging me and Captain Ukitake into it."
Kyoraku's grin didn't waver. "Nonsense. This is clearly a heartfelt celebration."
"Alright, alright," Sasakibe interjected, glancing between them. "Captain Kyoraku, Captain Shiraha, let's get moving."
Sasakibe led the way, and the others followed. As they ascended the stairs leading out of the underground prison, Shiraha turned slightly.
"Brother, why are you here?" he asked Byakuya, walking just a pace behind.
"Grandfather and Rukia requested that I retrieve you personally," Byakuya replied. A rare softness touched his eyes at the mention of Rukia, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
From the way Kuchiki Ginrei had reacted, Shiraha could tell there was no anger. It was likely Yamamoto had spoken with him beforehand and arranged this in advance. Shiraha's imprisonment had never been punishment—it had been preparation.
"I see," Shiraha said quietly.
Before long, the four emerged from the depths of the prison.
"Captain Shiraha, I'll report back to the Captain-Commander," Sasakibe said. Shiraha gave a brief nod of acknowledgment.
Just as Sasakibe prepared to vanish with Shunpo, a sudden flare of Reiatsu cut through the air. Appearing before them, leading a squad of Onmitsukidō operatives, was none other than Suì-Fēng, Captain of the Second Division.
She stood directly in their path, her expression cold.
"Captain Suì-Fēng?" Kyoraku raised a brow. "What brings you here with a strike team?"
Suì-Fēng's eyes narrowed.
"The Nest of Maggots has been breached," she said flatly. "All its inmates... are dead."
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